Mr Ralph Howell: I accept that my right hon. Friend is doing all that he can to bring about an immediate 9 per cent. green pound devaluation, but will he give an assurance that the Government are exerting maximum pressure in this direction, and will he say what is the chief stumbling block to the devaluation of the green pound?
Mr Ralph Howell: I recognise that both Front-Bench spokesmen have concentrated on the summit statement. That was inevitable. However, I prepared my speech for the debate on agriculture which was originally intended, and I mean to say only a word or two about the summit. I have not had time to study the document, and I do not know precisely what has been done, but, judging by what I have heard so far, I would...
Mr Ralph Howell: I entirely agree. There is no doubt that British farmers could compete with any other fanners in the world on a fair basis, but we cannot compete as we are. I wonder why the cereal farmer is under such attack at present. I must declare an interest—I am a cereal farmer — but I should like to tell the House how well our cereal industry has done. In fact, it is one of the most successful...
Mr Ralph Howell: I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for his intervention, because I might have forgotten who to attack. I did not hear an answer from the hon. Member for South Shields. The Australian document—and here I am shooting at the Opposition and the Treasury at the same time—was based on wheat at £50 a tonne. I do not believe that any farmer in the world can grow wheat at £50 a tonne. I...
Mr Ralph Howell: I am grateful for that information. One or two people hanker for the past, but anyone who believes that the Labour party has anything to offer agriculture with wheat at £50 a tonne is seriously mistaken.
Mr Ralph Howell: I should explain that the hon. Member for South Shields referred to the document and said that it proved his case. That was based on £50 a tonne—
Mr Ralph Howell: Let us argue the point further. According to the document, the figure is 80 ecu for wheat. That is almost £50.
Mr Ralph Howell: We have established the point that the figure is based on 80 ecu, which is roughly £50 a tonne. I want to refer to world food production in general. We have reached a point where we are consuming more wheat than we are producing. It is quite possible that by the time some of the penalties are in place we will penalise ourselves and will have reached a serious position of food shortages. I...
Mr Ralph Howell: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that that document is based, among other things, on cereals at £50 a tonne? Does he realise that no one anywhere in the world can produce cereals at £50 a tonne? Does the Labour party support that sort of figure?
Mr Ralph Howell: rose—
Mr Ralph Howell: Will my right hon. Friend give way?
Mr Ralph Howell: Will my right hon. Friend explain how this extra hardship which is to be imposed on our cereal growers will in any way diminish cereal output? All cereal farmers will have to try to grow more to maintain their income or to reduce their losses, bearing in mind the serious situation in which they find themselves at present.
Mr Ralph Howell: Will my right hon. Friend give top priority to raising the tax thresholds in his forthcoming Budget, to help restore incentives to work and help the lower paid generally?
Mr Ralph Howell: Following on from what my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) has said, I believe that British farmers could compete very well in a common market, but they find it extremely difficult to compete in the uncommon market in which they find themselves. As well as doing away with the green currencies as soon as possible, have the Government any plans to join the European monetary...
Mr Ralph Howell: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the rise in food prices since 1979; what has been the rise in prices generally; and if he will make a statement.
Mr Ralph Howell: In view of my hon. Friend's reply, and because consumer expenditure on food since 1979 has fallen from 21 to 15·6 per cent., farm incomes are at their second lowest level since the war and farm assets have fallen to 66 per cent. of what they were in 1979. In view of that, does my hon. Friend agree that there can be no justification in any call for lower producer prices?
Mr Ralph Howell: May I congratulate my right hon. Friend and the Government on the firm and proper stand that they are making on the question of extra finance for the National Health Service? Does she agree that there is no shortage of funds, but that those funds are being improperly used and that what we need is greater efficiency? Does she further agree that in the whole 40 years of the lifetime of the...
Mr Ralph Howell: I am interested to hear that so much serious discussion has taken place about set-aside, but will the Minister tell us whether the idea of a general set-aside has been fully explored? I find it difficult to see how it could be applied only to arable lands. I cannot agree that set-aside and stabilisers are complementary. If we set aside agricultural land, incomes to farmers throughout Europe...
Mr Ralph Howell: May I ask my right hon. Friend totally to ignore any advice that he receives from the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) and to accept that the common agricultural policy has been a great success? Does he agree that food is cheap in the EEC and that in Britain we are spending 25 per cent. less of our disposable income than we were nine years ago? Does he realise that milk is cheaper than...
Mr Ralph Howell: Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Norwich district authority proposes to close the Wells cottage hospital to save £150,000? Is he further aware that—
